The sun had set long ago, but the night cry still was not called, keeping all those who had been awoken nearly twenty-four hours earlier awake, even though some nearly gave in to the overpowering need to sleep. Jack did his best to keep his eyes open, staring into the darkness, his focus on nothing. The young man beside him shifted uncomfortably after many hours in the same position. To Jack's surprise, Benji had said very little, a trait almost unknown to him.

Thus, the only sounds that were heard drifting in the night air were words quietly spoken by other men on the deck and the waves gently lapping against the ship.

Jack stretched his arms in front of him then rolled his head back, attempting to loosen the stiff muscles. Rubbing the base of his neck with his palm, he glanced to his friend.

Benji looked behind to the ship cabin, searching for the Captain who often inhabited that area. He turned to Jack, his eyes anxious. "What is it, Benji?" Jack whispered, his voice hoarse from little use.

"I was just wonderin' if the Captain told you if we could go in yet."

Jack cleared his throat quickly, irritated by the question. "No, he hasn't. Otherwise I'd be sleeping."

Benji nodded slowly and leaned against the ship's guard. The single light from the cabin in the middle of the boat sent a dismal light across the water, but there was no ability to see anything beyond. He looked down to the water below and quietly said, "Do you think we'll ever get to sleep, Jack?"

Jack chuckled silently. "Yeah, Benji, we'll sleep sometime. The Captain's just worried about those rumors he heard yesterday."

"You mean the ones about the Japanese attackin'?"

Jack nodded, rubbing his eyes with rough hands. The gun on his hip tapped the metal guard and he stepped away. "Yeah."

A moment passed and the two said nothing, and for once, Jack felt concern for the boy at his side, realizing how young he really was. Jack had joined the war out of duty for his country, but Benji was barely eighteen and not even old enough to understand war. The two had been blessed to have been put on a ship instead of the ground where most of the fighting was taking place. In the far distance, sounds of explosions filled the air. Jack cringed at every sound, wondering how many had just died.

The sounds filled his dreams and the sleepless nights offered the true sounds. War was an exciting adventure that boys dreamed of; helping their country, getting away from the town they grew up in, and becoming a hero. But so far, Jack could only dream of the home he had once known and wonder if he would ever return.

Shaking his head, as if to remove the damming thoughts from his mind, he looked to his friend, the silhouette of his short body next to his own. "How's that girlfriend of yours?" He whispered.

Immediately a grin covered Benji's lips as he straightened to his full stature of about five and a half feet. "She's good. In fact, I just got a letter from her yesterday."

"What's she got to say?" If even for a moment he could take Benji's mind from the situation they were in, Jack would be happy.

Benji grabbed the bulging pocket of his pants and pulled out a ripped paper. "I got it right here," he said, excitement creeping into his quiet voice. He cleared his throat and looked to Jack. "You want me to read it to you?"

Jack glanced to the light then back to him. "Can you see it?"

Patting his chest, he smiled. "I don't need to read it, Jack. I memorized it."

"Go ahead, Benji." Leaning over the metal guard, Jack looked into the darkness as Benji began to recite the letter.

"'Benji, how are you doin'? The weather's great here. We're all preparin' for Christmas - I sure wish you were here with me now. My Moma keeps tellin' me that you'll be home by then, and I'm praying that it's true, but I dunno. Will you be home by Christmas, Benji? Maybe if you pray too, you'll come home...'" He stopped, his voice hoarse with emotion. Jack looked up and noticed Benji's hands over his eyes. He straightened and patted his friend's shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Benji, you'll go home. Maybe even by Christmas."

He looked up wearily. "Really? Do you really think so, Jack?"

"Sure. Like Emma said, maybe if you pray."

"Oh I have, Jack, I've been praying real hard."

Suddenly a loud bell echoed through the boat and over the water. Jack nearly jumped at the noise but quickly recovered, squeezing Benji's arm. "See, your prayers must be working."

Benji chuckled as he leaned down and gathered his bag. Jack did the same.

Finally, they would be able to get some sleep.

Tracy's entered the challenge! Great start! I'm looking forward to seeing how you handle what we know is coming . . .

Intriguing start! Can't wait to see where you take this.

Another AU story from Tracy!

What an incredible start! I just hope they would really be able to get their sleep... and come home soon for Christmas...

Why do I have a bad feeling for Benji? Very interesting start can't wait to see where it goes. Now I need some to get moving.

Well....ack....that's about all I can say because I have this uncomfortable feeling of impending doom.

kav

I'm glad I wasn't the one to say it, but I have the same feeling.

Lindsy

Great start, Tracy!! You've picked a very difficult time in our history, and I can't wait to see where you take us!!!

Joy

Ack nay Kav. Impending doom, this is the month of December, we can't have impending doom and sadness, chant after me,

we are in control, we are in control, we are in control or should I saythe writer is in control, isn't that right Tracy!!!!

Haha, sorry Australiagirl, but the past is the past and this story is pretty close to the real thing

And thank you so much, Cindy, for your awesome help and hints


Men crowded below deck to their separate cabins as sleep became the only thing on their minds. There were no excuses made for the pushing and hurrying as everyone understood. Jack and Benji stood against the hall, allowing others to pass first. They were exhausted as well, but the two had been promised a later wake call in the morning than the others by the Captain.

"You boys have been working harder than alot of the other guys," he had said, a look of pride on his tired face. "I'll let you both take a few more hours for sleep tomorrow morning."

The words kept Jack's nerves calm as men scrambled around him, desperate to get to their rooms. He felt his mind losing control as the pressure of being up an entire night and day began to wear him down. Glancing to his friend, he saw the same truth on his face.

Finally the yelling crowd thinned until there was enough room for the two to make their way to the cabin they shared. Jack walked as quickly as his exhausted legs would take him and stopped at their room. Benji stood silently beside, watching as Jack pushed the door open. Dropping his bag onto the floor, Jack unclipped the gun from his side and placed it on the desk, then walked to his cot and collapsed onto it.

Benji followed through the door and quietly turned, closed it and placed the lock in. He went through the same motions as Jack, but his were slow, almost careful. After a moment, he looked over his shoulder and quietly asked, "You mind if I leave the light on for a little while, Jack?"

Jack glanced up, feeling blessed sleep already overcoming his body. "Nah, not at all. Take as long as you want," he slurred, watching with one eye as Benji walked to the cabinet and took out a small book. Wrapping it in his hand, he turned to his cot and sank onto it. Curiosity momentarily overpowered sleep and Jack kept his eye on him. As the young man pulled a blanket over his legs and began reading, he glanced to Jack and smiled. "The Captain'll be angry if he sees that someone's still up," he said with a small smile, propping his hands behind his head.

Benji chuckled, undeterred. "I don't think five minutes is gonna matter too much. You go on and sleep, Jack. I'll see you in the mornin'."

Nodding, Jack closed his eyes and gave in to the wonderful essence of sleep, where there was no war, no enemies, and only Sue.



"Jack, Jack, wake up!"

The urgent barking in his ear made Jack want to destroy whoever it was that was making the noise, for only a second before had her beautiful face entered his mind, only to be scattered. He sat up suddenly, opening his eyes. "What is it?" Benji's face was completely pale as if it had been washed of all colour. Jack's eyes adjusted to the dim light and he frowned. "What's wrong?"

Benji said nothing but Jack understood what it was that put the fear into his friend's eyes. The sound of planes flying overhead was loud and abrupt as if God himself had dropped them directly above the ship. Feeling the ship rock with the waves, he figured there were probably moving boats around too - or perhaps the ship itself that was moving.

Throwing the covers back, Jack roughly pulled his jacket on and yanked the cabin door open. Immediately he was struck with the horrible volume of the plane's angry roars accompanied by the warning cry on the ship. Glancing back, Jack stopped the boy from following him. "Benji, stay here. I need you to do me a favour." Looking to his watch, he groaned at the time. 7:50. He looked back up. "Here," he thrust out a small notebook and pencil, something he had accidentally fallen asleep with after having woken up and decided to try to write a letter to Sue.

Benji took the two items and, eyes wide with fear, he quietly asked, "What do you want me to do, Jack?"

"I need you to write to Sue that I love her and do whatever you can to send it to her, okay?"

Nodding quickly, Benji hurried back into the cabin and Jack shoved the door shut. Grabbing for his gun, he felt his stomach fall when he realized he had forgotten the gun - not that it mattered, he quickly realized when he climbed to the top deck.

The chaos around him made his breath come short. The air was black with smoke above the ship and planes flew overhead, some merely feet above the water. The missiles and bombs that they dropped fell with precise aim all around. Smells filled his nostrils that made him bury his face in his sleeve and retch. "God," he whispered, unable to form a sentence. He looked over the crowded deck, searching for the Captain.

Seeing him amongst a group of terrified soldiers, Jack ran to him and grabbed his arm. "Sir, what is going on?"

When he looked at him, the man's face was not his own. It was white, like a ghost, and his eyes were sunken with fear. "Jack, I don't know what happened, they came out of nowhere. T-they weren't even here five minutes ago!"

Jack nodded, trying to calm him. "Sir, what do you want me to do? What's happening?" He heard the panic in his own voice which seemed to multiply the Captain's.

"It's the Japanese, they're swarming us, dropping bombs on all the ships. I've gotten word that the base is being completely destroyed."

Jack felt his body sway as his knees went week. "H-how many have we lost?"

The Captain looked away, coughing as a gust of black air washed over them. "Alot, I-I don't know how many. They're everywhere, Jack, I can't... I don't know what to do! I wasn't trained for an attack of this size!"

"Sir, do you have a missile gun?"

"What?"

"A missile gun, Sir! I need a missile gun to shoot the planes!"

"Yes! Yes, I have one, hold on!" He pushed his way through the horrified crowd and returned a moment later with a large weapon that Jack had only heard of. "Do you know how to use it?"

Just at that second, a plane came overhead, barely above the ship, a loud whirring sound following behind. Jack took the weapon from him and sighed, a tear spilling onto his cheek at the thought of never leaving this hell - he was going to die here. Checking the missiles within, Jack shook his head and lowered it to a metal table on the deck. "No, Sir, I've only seen how this works." He looked over his shoulder and managed a meager smile. "Pray, Captain. Pray that God has mercy on us."

Nodding, he turned away and locked both hands over his eyes as if to never see again. Jack leaned beside the gun and looked over it, aiming it to the black sky. Suddenly, from behind, a bomb landed on the ship, exploding in a horrifying bang and sending all those nearby down with a sickening thud. Jack kept his hold on the table and felt the hot air from the blast burn his back. He jerked around, letting out a mangled groan as the lower deck blew up in a pillar of fire.

Benji is just so cute...love him! And I love how Jack is looking out for him like he was his little brother.

Fantastic start Tracy!

Tracy, I was posting my first reply at the same time as you posted your second part...so here's my reply to part 2:



You've really captured the excitement and anxiety here in your transition from Jack's peaceful dreams to his horrifying wakeup call!

Tracy, you have your own particular way to portray history through your stories! And believe me, you're doing an amazing job of it!!!

I could feel the distress the men should have felt when the planes flown over their heads... and... it's terrifying!!!

When the first post was dated December 6, 1941, I knew that December 7, 1941 had to come next . . . very powerfully written, Tracy. The way you described the switch in Jack's dream to the reality of chaos was very realistic, and it doesn't surprise me in the least that Jack was willing to try to utilize an unknown, to him, piece of artillery to save the ship! Now we have to know what Jack's status us after the deck blew up . . . and what's happened to Benji??

:shiver:

Lindsy

Tracy, your powers of description are phenomenal!! What a scene you have shown us!! It's like seeing it first-hand!!!

Now, is Jack all right?? And, what about Benji???

Joy

Yikes! That's almost like watching it on screen!!

Great job, Tracy!

- RSL

Thank you so much, Joy! I really appreciate that And thank you to everyone who is reading!


The pencil in his hand shook as he tried to write the simple phrase "I love you", which turned out to be much more difficult with the battle all around clouding Benji's mind. He slowly penned the words, then placed it in an awaiting envelope which Jack kept a stack of to send Sue his letters. Closing his eyes, he whispered, "God, please let this letter get to her."

Hurrying toward the door, he swallowed hard then yanked it open. What greeted him was a boom as loud as nothing Benji had ever heard. Deep black smoke filled the cabin immediately and he struggled to find the door and breathe at the same time as the wind blew the smoke further. Coughing and gasping for breath, his hand made contact with the metal and he pushed it closed with all his strength, feeling heat from the outside permeate the door.

Unsure of what to do, he tightened his closed eyes and felt along the wall which was beginning to heat up as well, until he reached a bed. Diving down, he grabbed a pillow and breathed into it. The coughing continued until he could no longer keep his face buried in it. But, as he lifted his head and gasped for air, the only thing he received was smoke. He coughed harder, feeling his lungs tighten as they tried to refuse the horrible substitute.

Pushing the pillow to his face again, Benji knew that the only way he could live was to get out of the room and get above board. He walked blindly to the door and felt it. The heat was increasing rapidly and he imagined what it looked like on the other side. Yanking the door open, he stepped out, squinting into the smoke. He could see only orange flames all around, but somehow, there was a small path in the midst, just large enough for him to pass through.

Wondering if it were real or if he was only imaging the way, he walked toward it, heat everywhere. He rubbed his forehead with a shaking hand and felt the sweat. He slowly made his way through the burning flames, seeing other men ahead, screaming, crying. He suddenly remembered that there may have been others below deck, but his mind quickly argued in return, telling him that he and Jack were most likely the only two left in their cabins since they had been given permission to sleep longer.

Benji felt his pulse quicken as the stairs to upper deck came into view and the fire, though all around, was not burning him.

"Benji!" He heard his name being called in the distance, but he didn't dare take the pillow from his mouth and reply. The name was called over and over again, as if somehow taunting him. He pushed one hand over his ear and hurried on.

Feeling his head begin to sway, Benji realized that he was not getting enough oxygen and would most likely soon pass out if he did not get to the upper deck soon. His steps quickened, but his mind struggled to keep up, as if the smoke had inhabited his head and was beginning to overpower his senses. And instead of the stairs coming closer as he walked, they seemed to become farther and farther until he felt that there was no way for him to reach it.

And then, everything went black.

So intense! I loved these lines....just when we think we know what's next, you throw us a curve Tracy!

I REALLY don't want bad things to happen to Benji . . . I don't want bad things to happen to JACK, either . . . Come back and fix things for both of them, Tracy!!

EEP!

So many bad things happening... I hope there's at least a small sliver of light at the end of this very long, angst-ridden tunnel.

Lindsy

Oops! Double post!


Still loving it, Tracy!

Lindsy

Poor Benji!! I hope that was Jack calling him and that he has come to find him!!!

Joy

Ack seems like such an understatement now.

kav

If you would like to see a visualization of what I'm writing, I recommend watching 'Pearl Harbor', the movie. It is so moving and horrifying to see the actual event in such realistic detail.

And thank you for reading!


There was a deep thud below deck and Jack imagined one of the massive metal bars above crashing down and trapping Benji underneath, but when he finally pushed through the stream of men to the stairs, he found it much worse than he imagined. Fire burned with such an intensity that he had to turn away, the blazing light searing his face with a glance.

He backed away but suddenly heard a near-silent cry. From deep within, he knew that it was Benji. "Benji!" he called, ignoring the fire and smoke. "Benji, I'm coming!" He pushed past the final crowd of men who ran for their lives to the deck. "Call out, Benji, call out!"

There was the sound of crying, agonized begging from within the fire and Jack tried to see through it, horrified by the magnitude of damage.

"Keep calling, keep calling!" Taking a deep breath through his sleeve, he walked on. Closing his eyes to the blinding fire, Jack relied on the sound of Benji's voice to guide him. "Where are you?!"

"Jack, I'm here, I'm here," his voice drifted, quietly, as if it took every ounce of his strength to say the words.

Jack looked around through squinted eyes, leaning against the hot wall for support. Finally, he spotted him through the orange flames. Half of Benji's body lay beneath a section of the ceiling which had been blown from above when the missile exploded. The sickening position Benji in was made Jack's stomach churn.

He rushed forward, the flames licking his path. Kneeling beside his friend, Jack did his best to encourage him while his heart sank. "You're going to be fine, Benji, you're fine," he yelled over the fire's angry roar.

Benji looked at him with terror filled eyes. "What's happening out there, Jack?" He cried, smoke filling his lungs as he gasped for breath.

"The Japanese are attacking us, Benji, but you just hang on, I'm gonna get you out of here."

From above, another explosion caused the entire ship to rock. Jack felt the contents of his stomach making their way up when he realized that he would not be able to move his friend's barrier alone, but he also knew that there was no time to find another to help.

"Lord please help us get out," Benji whispered repeatedly, his eyes closed tightly.

Jack looked at his friend and felt a cry rise into his throat - they were not going to die like this. "I'm gonna get you out!" He yelled, as if to tell God. "Don't worry!" Bracing the weight with his legs, Jack tried to lift the block but he moved it only a little.

"Jack, get out before the ship goes down," Benji yelled.

"No! No, Benji, we're getting out!" Looking around, Jack desperately searched for some kind of leverage, something to jack the piece up enough for Benji to crawl out. Rubbing a hand over his hair in frustration, he felt the dampness from sweat and could suddenly imagine what it would be like to burn to death; slowly, horribly. A coughing fit overtook his mind as he fought for oxygen, smoke filling the hallway as if to deny him.

Seeing one large section from a bed that had been blown apart, Jack ran to it and kicked it apart until it was half the size. He then turned back to Benji and placed the wood beneath the ceiling section. "When this moves, you pull yourself out, alright?"

Benji nodded, unsure.

Jack pushed down with all his strength, begging God for just a little bit more when the section barely moved. Benji pushed it from below, and after a moment, it finally budged.

Immediately, the young man pulled himself out and shielded his face with his soot covered sleeves, gasping. Jack buried his face in his own after letting the wood fall. His chest hurt from wheezing and his head hurt from everything else. Leaning down beside his friend, Jack cowered against the wall. "Benji, can you move?" he coughed.

"Yeah, I think so." But as he struggled to stand, using both Jack and the wall as support, Jack saw how Benji's legs wouldn't hold his weight.

"It's okay, I've got you," he said, propping his arms beneath Benji's. "Lean on me."

They managed a few feet when suddenly the ship tipped. Benji fell against the wall and Jack to the floor, and with a horrified realization, he saw the water filling around him. "We're going down," he groaned.

ACK!!!

I remember when I was a teenager (yeah, back in the day . . .) seeing the movie "Midway," and then later seeing "The Winds of War." The horrors that the men on those ships went through are unimaginable.

Now, missy, how are you going to get them out of THIS situation????

Tracy, you refuse to leave us feeling safe at the end of a post, don't ya?

Like I said before, you are the queen of cliffhangers!

Do you honestly enjoy torturing Jack, Benji and not to mention US?



Lindsy

Thanks again, Cindy!


"Base, this is Oklahoma, do you read me?" The Captain called, vainly trying to communicate with Pearl Harbor's base. "I repeat, Base, this is Oklahoma, do you read me?" The desperation in his voice doubled when a huge torpedo blast erupted water around them, nearly sending some of the men overboard. He dropped the communication device and ran to the edge of the ship, holding on to the rope guard.

To his absolute grief, he saw the massive boat beside them, the U.S.S. Arizona, burning with fire as if it had been lit from every angle. Blasts came from within and the Captain knew that a torpedo must have struck the magazine room.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the hundreds of men onboard looking to him for guidance. The others, who were barely even above the age of 18, some younger, were crying, weeping for their parents. He felt a wave of fear, unlike anything he had ever known, crash over him as the ship lurched to the side. Men tumbled toward the guards, grasping for anything on the way. Many found something, but others did not. They screamed and cried out as they were thrown into the awaiting water below.

"No!" the Captain cried out, reaching for some of the boys as they passed, able to save only one. He pulled him forward and pushed the young one toward the nearest anchor. "Stay here," he ordered, knowing it wasn't needed. Those who were on the ship held onto anything that could help them stay aboard - but everyone knew that they were on their way down.

The men in the hull below could be heard crying for help as water poured in from the wounds left by the explosions. With a sickening retch, the Captain gave way to the nausea that had begun moments ago.



Jack pulled his friend up the final stair and let him lean against the nearest wall before turning to the other men onboard. Finding a familiar face, he walked to him and asked, "How many times have we been hit?"

The man, who was known as Kish, said nothing, instead coughing until he retched. Finally, he straightened and looked Jack in the eyes. "I think it's three."

Raking both hands through his hair, Jack fought against his own nausea. "What's the Captain doing?"

"He's trying to help the guys that went overboard."

He felt his legs begin to sway. "Overboard?"

Kish nodded slowly, his eyes trained on the ship's edge, as if seeing the men fall in his mind. "T-they just fell over like a giant hand was wiping them off."

Glancing back to Benji, who was kneeling against the wall, Jack asked, "Has he -"

A voice over the loudspeaker interrupted him. "The ship is going to capsize, everyone abandon ship." The order was repeated several times, but it took until the fourth for it to truly make sense to Jack - the ship wasn't going to make it and everyone on board would have to either fight for their lives to stay on or jump into the water and drown. There were no better options.

Kish's face blanched and he looked over to the Captain's cabin where he stood, loudspeaker over his mouth. "Captain, we're all gonna die in there!" His words were phased out by the plane's roar from above. "CAPTAIN!"

The Captain ignored the plea and instead hurried into the cabin and returned with arms full of life jackets and floating devices. He then walked through the crowd of crying men and handed them each one until his arms were empty. He then returned to the cabin and did the same task for several minutes.

Jack walked to Benji and knelt beside him. The young man's eyes were closed. "Benji?" Jack asked, touching his shoulder. "We have to get off of the ship."

Benji's eyes flew open. "B-but, Jack, I can't -" One more torpedo hit the ship and exploded, sending it's side down. Jack grabbed Benji and the nearest wall but his hand slipped and the two fell down the deck as it bowed to the water. "JACK!" Benji yelled, grasping for anything in the path. "I CAN'T SWIM!"

Suddenly, Jack's hand connected with something and he held on with all of his strength, his other arm around Benji. He closed his eyes and coughed, smoke enveloping once again. When he opened his eyes, he saw the position they were in - the ship was barely in grasp as they hung, nearly over the side, only feet from falling into the water.

Scrambling up, Jack pushed Benji forward, looking for a foothold. Some men above had managed to hold onto the guard on the top side of the boat while others hung from their bodies, desperately trying to stay above the water. The other cries of men who couldn't swim echoed through the water.

There were screams of the dying and those who were slowly burning to death on the U.S.S. Arizona and Jack wished he could be struck deaf. Benji grabbed onto a large metal pipe that was still connected to the ship's base and helped Jack to it. The two stayed there, both exhausted.

Benji's tear filled eyes met Jack's and he whispered, "I lost the letter, Jack."

I can't either....I can feel Benji's panic!

I love this line....very simple and very powerful.

Oh, Tracy. That was simply . . . . . . almost too real for words . . . but your words were tremendous . . .

I hope they're going to be OK . . . and for Benji to worry about the letter made me want to all over again!

You've really got my heart racing with this one. The terror is racing right from my screen and into me. I feel like I'm actually aboard that ship and I'm fearing for my life.

Now, about Benji losing the letter... I have a very bad feeling about that. Only because through all the wreckage that is going to be found where the ship was, what if someone finds the letter and interprets it as Jack being...

Ugh! I don't even want to think about that...

Lindsy

Bullets from the plane's winged weapons above injured hundreds of men, but they killed many more. Those who were in the water and managed to swim away from the ships were shot down, sometimes fifty men and boys completely butchered in one plane's series.

Jack couldn't help but cry; he didn't want to show a weakness, but the horror surrounding him gave him no defense against the tears and it drained him of his humanity and sanity. His strength was gone and life all around him was being snuffed out like a candle's flame.

Desperate men clung to poles, ropes, wires, anything to keep them from falling to the waters just feet below - and when Jack dared to look back, he understood why. The water was filling with oil from the sinking Arizona and after merely one bullet landed in the midst, the water exploded into a fireball which burned like a path through the oil. Men were burned alive in the water.

"Jack," Benji murmured repeatedly, as if somehow calling to his friend would awake them both from the nightmare.

The ship churned again, this time not ceasing. In a matter of only a few seconds, the massive 29,000 pound ship was on it's side, completely half-turned by the torpedos horrific strength. Benji's cries for help mingled with others and even though Jack tried not to, his were soon added.

"We need help!" One cry echoed above the others, being repeatedly screamed from somewhere below. "HELP!"

Jack pushed the last bit of his strength as he reached for a large chain that hung limply in the middle of the ship's deck. He grabbed it and hung on, pulling himself up. "Benji, stay there, I'll be right back!" he yelled, furious emotion burning in his throat. Benji didn't reply; he only cried harder, as if the only person he could rely on was leaving him to die.

The sound stopped Jack from going further. He looked back and said, "Benji, I'm coming back - someone needs help."

Jack saw the strain on the young man's muscles as he held on to a pole that had fallen from the Oklahoma's tower. It wasn't sturdy, but had somehow lodged itself between two others, managing to keep Benji's weight. But with every move he made, it began to move away from it's safety. Seeing it, Jack groaned. "Stay right there, Benji, don't move!"

Benji looked up, tears covering his near-black cheeks. "Why, Jack?" he whimpered, looking every bit his childish age.

"That thing you're hanging onto ain't gonna hold much longer. Now you wait right here, okay? Don't move!"

Suddenly assuming the role of a dead man, Benji nodded and held with all the strength he had left, completely limp. "Okay, Jack... okay."

"HELP US!" The words began again, cutting into Jack's meager thoughts. "Please, oh God, HELP US!" The voices came from the other side of the deck, what would have been under the floor but now lay mirrored against Jack's body. He pulled himself, slowly, to the top of the chain and jumped to the opposite side of the ship. There were only a few men there, huddling together, many praying.

Looking around, he searched for a door to the deck below, wondering how anyone could still be living there. Finally, he found one. Stepping carefully over bodies and broken boards that would give way to the watery grave below, he walked forward and grabbed the sideways door which looked like it had been kicked from the outside, making it impossible to open. Jack kicked the metal as hard as he could, but felt his energy draining until his limbs could only shake. He called out, "Who's down there?"

"There are seven, sir!" A boy replied, his voice breaking. "We can't get -" the words ended as he fell below the water, gurgling.

Jack wiped his sleeve over his forehead and banged on the door. "HEY! Who's there! I need to know..." his words drifted off when no reply came. The boys that were below had drowned. Unable to control it any longer, Jack cried out and began to weep. "God! How can you let this happen?!" he demanded, cursing and pounding the floor as he fell to it.

Then, slowly, he looked above. The planes were gone, the bullets no longer flew, and the torpedos had finally finished their death-aimed journey.

This war was finally over.

I can feel Jack's desperation.

But still so many more to go...

Lindsy

I the risk of sounding terribly, uninspiriingly reptitive. ACK!!! You have really managed to pull out the horror and desperation of this time.

kav

Powerful writing, Tracy!! I saw all that happening right before me!!!

Joy

Wow, Tracy. I can see so many directions for this story. It's only the beginning of the horrors of war.

Thank you!


Jack stood, his entire body shaking. He wanted to close his eyes and sleep for the next year - perhaps then he would have the strength to face what he had witnessed in the hour that had passed. He strained to see below but stopped when a wave of dizziness caused the ship to feel as if it were moving again - but Jack soon realized that it wasn't dizziness.

"Oh no," he breathed when the steel beneath his feet shifted and began to turn again. Immediately those who were in the waters directly below began to scream as the giant turned and landed on them, burying them in a watery tomb. Jack managed to jump from the ship's edge just before it completely overturned, landing on it's masts in the water.

He hit the water so hard that it knocked the air from his chest and he fought to the surface, gasping when he reached it. Everywhere he turned in the black water, bodies floated around, littering the sea.

"Jack," a man beside him said, one that Jack recognized as a cook.

"What is it, Blake?" he asked, his voice shaking while his teeth chattered; the water wasn't even cold.

The cook, aged about the same as Jack, swam to his side, pushing past the bodies. "I was below deck when all this happened... who did it?"

Jack took in a deep breath, relaxing his arm muscles as he tried to float instead of fight. "The Japs. They came out of nowhere... we weren't prepared."

Blake's face took on an emotion that Jack noticed immediately. Deep, uncontrolled hatred. His eyes turned murderous and his moving hands turned to balled fists. He pounded the water and growled. "I swear, if I get out of here alive, I'm gonna get my hands on one of those Japs and kill 'em with my own hands."

The hatred took Jack be surprise - but it wasn't Blake's. He had been fighting with an unknown emotion the whole morning, something he didn't understand. He had never felt such an intense feeling, except for the love he had for Sue. He completely understood Blake's words and would have echoed them had a figure not caught attention.

"Oh no!" he suddenly yelled, pushing away from Blake with a renewed strength. "No, oh, no." He hurried past groups of men who huddled on pieces of steel and grasped the body's shoulders and lifted the head above the water. He nearly thanked God to see that the dead boy's face was not that of his friend. But the knowledge that Benji had been pushed into the water by the ship's sinking and could not swim made him desperate to find him among the others.

"Benji!" he called, swimming as quickly as he could in the direction of the ship where Benji had been left hanging. He looked around, scanning the clothes and bodies in the water, searching for the recognizable green blazer that had Benji had painted a white stripe across. Finally, his eyes landed on the jacket. Jack retched at the sight.

The boy's small body was between a metal slab from the Arizona and their own ship's bottom. Jack slowly moved toward the body, his eyes filling with tears so quickly that it became impossible to see when he finally reached it. He whimpered, completely destroyed.

Benji's face was in the water and only his jacket, which had somehow caught a hook on the slab, was keeping him above. Jack pushed the slab slowly, letting it drift away from them, and he touched his young friend's body. When he did not respond, Jack lifted Benji away from the ship's hold and swam a few feet before turning him over.

The unseeing eyes stared into Jack's and he could only look back. Some of the other men around swam to him and looked at Benji, unafraid to cry. Jack, however, didn't know what to do. He stopped paddling and let his body lay completely still, his mind numb with pain. His friend, his only friend, was dead.

And it was all his fault.

wow and yikes... I'm getting hooked on your story, I feel so sad that Benji died but I'm definitely getting more and more intrigued please post more soon

How can Jack blame himself? There was no way he could've predicted the way things had happened. There is no one to blame except those who bombed their ship.

Lindsy

My thoughts EXACTLY.

Great contrast!

Poor Benji and poor Jack for feeling guilty.

Jack could not have helped this!! He must not blame himself!!!

Tracy, the description you have put into this is amazing!!!

Joy

Now Jack...this is not your fault. You like Benji and the others are an innocent victim in this dreadful war.

I think Jack needs someone close to talk to...if not Sue, where is Bobby?

A very vivid piece of writing Tracy.

Thank you!


"Is he wounded?"

"No, it doesn't look like it."

Jack knew that the conversation was about him, but his mind didn't have the strength to pay attention enough to understand why. Benji was dead. The phrase had become the only three words he could think, the only ones that made any sense. The attack on the ships in Pearl Harbor was over, yet, many planes still flew overhead the hospital ground, which was directly beside the American plane base.

As the two people spoke, Jack heard explosions just outside, but he didn't cringe or react in any way - that would take emotion, something he had been completely drained of.

"Sir?" he heard a female voice ask, and he knew it was directed at him. He opened his eyes and looked around for the first time. The hospital was completely crowded with the wounded and dying, many of whom were burned and shot. Jack swallowed hard at the sight. "Sir, can you hear me?"

Jack looked to the voice and saw a young woman dressed in, what would have been a pure white nurse's outfit, but was now so stained with blood that it resembled nothing of the white it had first been. He nodded.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Were you wounded?"

"No, ma'am," he whispered hoarsely.

She didn't seem to believe him, touching his shoulders and arms as if to feel for a wound. She then smiled, her eyes looking as exhausted as his own. "That is very good, sir. Now I need you to go to your home. There's no room for you to stay here."

Jack's eyes filled with tears involuntarily. "I-I don't have a home... not here. I lived on the ship... my best friend too..." He could see that she was trying to get away as she was very needed in the shortly staffed hospital, but he couldn't stop speaking. "He was killed... right in front of me. I should have..."

Her hand touched his cheek and he looked at her pretty face. "I am so sorry, but you have to go now."

Jack nodded slowly, and as she walked away, he searched for anyone that could help him. He didn't know where to go. He didn't want to go back into the fighting that was happening just outside the thin walls. Men were being brought in every second, some close to death who were unconscious, others fully aware of the pain and crying so loudly Jack put his hands over his ears, trying to block the sounds.

He stepped away from the wall he was leaning against and blindly walked to the door and waited for the flow of people to thin, then walked out.

The morning was beautiful, he assumed, seeing the sunlight gliding over the pavement. Jack looked around and saw how closely the planes were diving; sometimes only feet above the ground as they shot at soldiers who were running for their lives. There were hundreds of men there, huddling against buildings or beside anything that may shelter them from the raining bullets.

Seeing the enforced battle, Jack hurried to the side of the hospital where he crouched down, looking to see what the others were using for defense. Many used their small guns, aiming at the Japanese planes as they hung overhead, while others manned huge guns, sometimes taking down one plane or injuring it enough to make it fly irratically before hitting something.

Several men were in the plane base, a few trying to get the planes started. But, a Japanese somehow spotted them and came overhead, dropping a huge missile. The plane's cover exploded, immediately killing those within.

Jack stood, looking away quickly. When he joined in the fight against the enemies, he had no intention of ever being shocked by anything - but the horrific events that were unfolding around him was making it hard to keep shock at a low level.

"Look out!" a loud voice called, but the warning came too late. A single Japanese plane lowered itself above the hospital and began shooting at the people scrambling below. Suddenly, one bullet ripped through his shoulder and Jack fell to the ground, pain exploding in his arm.

We hear so much of the horrors of the shipyard at Pearl Harbor, that we don't even think about the continued attacks on the survivors. Very vivid portrayal, Tracy . . . even if you did have to shoot JACK in the process!!

Just remember . . . . . . . We like him whole, you know . . .

I'm taking some comfort from the fact that Jack was shot in the shoulder and not the chest and also that he's so close to the hospital.

But I'll wait here until I know more.....

I'm trying to reassure myself that it's just a minor injury and that Jack's going to be okay.

Lindsy

You shot Jack???? You've killed his best friend, sunk his ship and now you've shot him? Any chance the person who shouted a warning is someone we all know and love and migh find comfort in?

kav